...and they're flexible, too: Bands On Stage offered carefree musical enjoyment - Steinmühle

…and they’re flexible, too: Bands On Stage offered carefree musical enjoyment

The Steinmühle is known, among other things, for its successful and well-organized music events. Students and teachers also know how to respond flexibly when things don’t go as planned—as was recently the case with “Bands On Stage.” Despite some performers having to drop out at the last minute, the audience enjoyed 90 minutes of a highly entertaining mix of music and didn’t let the performers leave the stage without a big round of applause and an encore.

As of February, the band club for grades 5 and 6 still had 11 students; after that, much to the delight of director Frank Wemme, the number grew to 18! The new members quickly found their place behind their own instruments or at the microphone. They kicked off the evening for the audience in the hall with Rihanna’s “Umbrella”—a fitting start for the day, as umbrellas had indeed had to be opened quite a few times outside that Monday. The group performed “Sorry” by ClockClock as their second song—another track that was familiar to the audience and clearly well-received.

Filling in for music teacher and choir director Daniel Sans is a challenge. Our colleague Anna Prokop handled this task exceptionally well when it came to directing the performance of the elective musical class for grades 8 and 9. Due to the absence of some participants, the program had to be scaled back from four performances to three. The songs, performed with great emotion—namely “Lovely” by Billie Eilish, “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo, and “Control” by Zoe Wees—were met with tremendous enthusiasm from the audience, received loud applause, and were captured on many a cell phone camera.

The rejuvenated JazzEnsemble, led by Frank Wemme, showcased plenty of rhythm. They performed Herbie Hancock’s “Chans’ Song” and Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’.” Afterward, they wowed the audience with the classic “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Frank Wemme not only hosted the evening but also led another musical highlight with the newly formed StoneMill House Band. Well-known songs such as “I Ain’t Worried” by One Republic, “House of Memories” by Panic! at the Disco, “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb, and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars led up to the evening’s finale, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the performance.

The following artists performed at Bands On Stage on March 27:

Band Club, Grades 5 & 6: Carla Isenberg, Matteo Dörbecker, Maya Böttcher, Helena Taschner (vocals), Lotta Funk (violin), Tim Henseling, Damir Vaslylenko, Justus Pöschl, Joshua Triml-Chifflard (glockenspiel), Vincent Pfaar, Anna-Lena Griesler, Justus Pöschl (guitar), Philian Merle, Helena Taschner, Emilia Ritter (piano), Lika Schnabel (bass), Leni Ochs, Noel Hopf (djembe), Antonia Mahnken, Lino Nordwald (drums).

WU Musical, Grades 8 & 9: Evelyn Hildermann, Annica Bartsch, Antonia Kurlinsky, Carlotta Meyer (vocals).

Jazz Ensemble: Juliane Spies (flute), Justus Mahnken (alto saxophone), Constantin Franz (guitar), Juliana Stry (euphonium), Janne Schweitzer (bass), Frank Wemme (piano).

Title: I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll: Juliana Stry (vocals), Constantin Franz (guitar), Jaron Häußermann (drums).

StoneMill House Band: Sophie Gurschi, Juliana Stry (vocals), Juliane Spies, Sascha Trofimov, Sonia Weber (flute), Justus Mahnken, Louisa Röder (alto saxophone), Lars Mitschke (trombone), Juliana Stry, Marit Winterstein (euphonium), Constantin Franz, Stella Gorr (guitar), Svea Turba (piano), Janne Schweitzer, Lika Schnabel (bass), Jaron Häußermann (drums).

WU Sound&Light, led by Matthäus Otte, was responsible for the technical aspects.

5. April 2023

Grades 5 and 6 were able to celebrate Carnival with great enthusiasm once again

Events & Celebrations, News

On Thursday, February 16, after years of involuntary restraint, the time had finally come again: At 2:00 p.m., the new gym opened its doors—for the first time—to the children in grades 5 and 6, many of whom were dressed in imaginative and varied costumes. Together with their teachers, they enjoyed a lively, cheerful afternoon filled with a colorful program of group dancing and a disco, costume presentations, plenty of activity during the Carnival Olympics, and a snack of french fries to wrap things up. It’s wonderful that this was—and is—possible again!

5. April 2023

Impressive as a drawing and a model: Art class plans the future of the former university library

Art, Music & Theater, Collaborations & Partnerships, News

What might the future hold for the former Marburg University Library? The introductory art class taught by instructor Ines Vielhaben has been exploring how the striking building on Wilhelm Röpke Street—which has been practically “obsolete” since the new building was erected at Pilgrimstein—might be used in the near future. Two students decided they’d rather design and build a model than take a written exam. The model, based on a floor plan they drew themselves, was recently presented at the Steinmühle and discussed with two professionals.

It was truly amazing what the students Fabian and Joel had managed to pull off! Even the floor plan on graph paper, drawn to a scale of 1:100 like an architectural blueprint, looked professional. “Of course we had to ask for tips on how to draw a floor plan,” Joel explained, glancing at their teacher, Ines Vielhaben. He was the project partner who focused on the drawing. The result was extremely impressive, as even the tiniest details were taken into account—clean and precise.

“We focused on the tower,” the students explained regarding their assignment. They assumed 11 stories, and although the windows were not included in the model, their number was calculated for the sake of practical implementation: “The building would have 1,000 to 1,400 windows.” If it were up to Fabian and Joel, the old university library would be transformed into a modern student residence. Four shared apartments per floor, with individual rooms of about 18 square meters, each with a shared bathroom including a toilet, as well as a common room.

Housing for Students in a modern setting

But the students went even beyond basic housing needs and considered how the surrounding area could be designed as a contemporary living space. On the top floor, they envisioned a rooftop café. They planned for a wooden exterior façade—in keeping with the concept of sustainable construction—as well as solar panels in the outdoor area facing the sun. Designing the building’s surroundings proved to be a successful challenge in terms of miniature details, whether it was sun loungers and umbrellas, landscaping, raised garden beds, a volleyball court, or bicycle parking spaces. A truly impressive model that clearly showed the ambition and enthusiasm with which the many tiny details had been crafted.

To the expert eyes of Maja Turba and Ute Kohlhauer from the Department of Civil Engineering and Safety Engineering at the University of Marburg, these significant investments of ambition, energy, and interest in the field of construction were a delight. “The result is all the more impressive given that it’s ‘just’ a basic art course,” says project leader and art teacher Ines Vielhaben with delight. The young planners and model builders took note with interest of the minor adjustments that would be necessary if the miniature designs were actually turned into a real project: fire escapes and a utility shaft were missing. Maja Turba: “A building of this scale houses kilometers of cable.”

At the end of the meeting, all the students in the class, along with Fabian, Joel, and the two construction experts, posed for a photo with photographer Ines Vielhaben. Everyone agreed: a project like this should definitely set a precedent!

5. April 2023

Spring Wreaths for a Good Cause

Ecology and Sustainability, News, Social Engagement

Teacher María Ramos and her students in the elective course (WU) “School Garden” come up with new ways to share their artistic and creative ideas with the outside world every season. Currently, students in grades 5 and 6 in the WU class have made decorative spring wreaths out of flowers and greenery—just in time for the start of spring! Some of these wreaths, which María Ramos crafted with her “little bees,” are being sold. With the proceeds from the gardening activities, the elective course supports the chicken project at the One World Secondary School Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Already at the fall festival, elementary school students, together with their teacher Lori Herrmann, had raised funds for the chicken project. This winter, Dr. Karl-Heinz and Swantje Köhler gave a detailed presentation at the Steinmühle about the African school they run and its educational philosophy. We’ll be reporting on further activities.

5. April 2023

Off to the Zillertal: A Ski Trip to the Steinmühle

Class Trips, Field Trips, and School Outings, Life at Boarding School, News, Sports & Health, Steinmühle on the Road

Just like last year, Steinmühle organized a ski trip. A total of sixteen students, accompanied by two teachers from the boarding school, set off for the beautiful Zillertal in Austria to spend a few exciting days on the slopes.

The Hochzillertal and Hochfügen ski resorts, which have been connected for more than ten years, offer world-class skiing at the entrance to the Zillertal. From the main entrance in Kaltenbach—where our ski trip participants were also staying—the lifts and runs extend up to nearly 2,400 meters, ensuring reliable snow conditions well into April. Skiing here therefore offers the perfect vacation experience for every taste. The students experienced this firsthand when they ventured onto the snow-covered slopes.

The Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach ski resort was just a few minutes away by ski bus. Whether they were seasoned skiers or eager beginners, the wide variety of runs meant that all participants could have fun at their own skill level. Those with absolutely no prior experience were able to learn the basics of skiing with the help of boarding school instructor Patric Hahn and gradually improve from there. Others ventured straight onto the difficult slopes and showed off their skills.

This time, the weather offered a colorful mix of sun, clouds, and wind. But even when fog limited visibility, the skiers didn’t let that dampen their spirits, of course. Instead, Patric said, “Bad weather makes for good skiers. ;-)”

The students were so motivated, however, that the group set off for the slopes at seven in the morning—at the students’ request. To offer even more variety, this time they also had the chance to try snowboarding.Various smaller challenges that the students set for themselves also sparked a lot of enthusiasm.

If you go skiing, you’ve got to eat well, too. We cooked for ourselves in the mornings and evenings. In addition to pasta Bolognese, the menu also included classic pizza, among other things. After washing the dishes together, the students took advantage of the accommodations’ amenities for cozy game nights. The exhausting days quickly took their toll, though, leaving most of them so worn out that many went to bed early to be ready for the next morning. Despite all the physical exertion that a day on the slopes entails, there was never a shortage of fun. A particularly amusing situation arose when some students rolled through the snow on their skis.

“We’ll definitely be back next year!”

As the students made their way home, they also expressed a desire to go skiing twice a year. With big smiles on their faces, they arrived at the boarding school late in the evening and excitedly recounted their experiences from the past few days. One thing is certain: a ski trip will once again be on the Steinmühlen calendar in 2024 so that we can make the most of the upcoming winter season. We’re already looking forward to it!

3. April 2023